Launch Day
by WhyTK
Summary: One more step to restore the Collins family business to its former glory.


**This story is a sequel to Tim Burton's version of _Dark Shadows_, and a sequel to my idea of _Dark Shadows 2_, which is not finished yet. But this is a story that I was just aching to tell. **

**I goofed when I first wrote this story. I wrote "leaky old boats." Carolyn said "rusty old boats" in the 1st dining room scene of Burton's _Shadows_. I have now corrected it. **

**I do not own _Dark Shadows_ or any of its characters, institutions, or entities. **

**"Launch Day"  
**September 1973  
New Collinwood stands proudly on its hill overlooking the town of Collinsport. The Collins Canning Co. has been rebuilt and is back in operation.

The complex of buildings that used to be the Angelbay Seafood Co. has been repainted in the Collins colors of white with light gray trim. And all the signs on the complex have been changed to:

Collins Canning Co.  
Plant No. 2

to distinguish it from the original Collins Cannery. The new paint job and the new signs were done before the rebuilding of the original Collins Cannery was complete.

When Elizabeth and Barnabas took over Angelbay, they did not fire anyone for working there during the reign of "Angie the Mad," as the people of Collinsport called Angelique Bouchard in the days after the Night of the Collins Fires. And they started a 2nd shift at Angelbay, to keep the Collins Canning Co. employees working and to live up to the company's delivery contracts. When the rebuilding was complete, the Collins Canning employees went back to work at the original cannery.

Now it is a beautiful sunny day in September of 1973, and much of Collinsport is gathered at the Collinsport Boatyard to witness the launch of the newest and biggest boat in the Collins fishing fleet. She is the biggest boat to be built from the keel up at the Collinsport Boatyard in years.

There is an awning over the launching stand to protect the people on it from the sun. That goes double for the town's vampire residents.

A bottle of champagne hangs by a silken rope from the framework at the front of the launching stand. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard gives a short speech about how the launching of this boat honors the past and demonstrates their confidence in the future.

Then she turns to her daughter and speaks as formally as the Captain on the bridge of a ship. "Miss Stoddard, you have the deck."

"Aye aye, Ma'am," Carolyn replies. In spite of the formality of their words, mother and daughter hug each other before Carolyn steps up to the champagne bottle.

Many people who have seen Carolyn swing a softball bat take a step back, fearing the shattered glass will escape the bottle's wrapping under the force of Carolyn striking it against the steel reinforcement along the bow of the boat's wooden hull.

The President of the Collinsport Boatyard stands fast. He wrapped the bottle himself, with Carolyn's unnatural strength in mind.

At Carolyn's request, the men who built the boat are standing at the boat's port bow, and therefore directly in front of Carolyn as she grips the bottle.

Carolyn's eyes fill with tears, as she looks up at the name on the boat's starboard bow. It is the name of Carolyn's beloved grandmother, a name previously borne by the Collins fishing boat that Angelique burned and sank to kill Carolyn's beloved Aunt Laura. It is a name that was too painful for Elizabeth to speak when she told Dr. Julia Hoffman how David's mother died.

Still looking at the name, Carolyn cries, "I christen thee _Alexandra_! God bless this ship, and all who sail in her ... " She lowers her eyes to look at the boatbuilders in front of her and adds, " ... and all those who built her!"

The boatbuilders cheer as Carolyn swings the bottle. The wrapping works perfectly, holding the shattered glass but allowing the pressurized wine to spray out over both the hull and Carolyn.

The rest of the crowd joins the boatbuilders in cheering as _Alexandra_ slides down the ways and into the water. Carolyn wipes away her tears and whispers something she once read about another launching. "Get thee into thy element, and be thee about thy business."

Carolyn and her mother embrace again, with tears pouring down their cheeks.

A skeleton crew is aboard _Alexandra_ for the launch. Her Captain, a grandson of Silas Clarney, is on the bridge. When _Alexandra _is fully afloat, the Captain turns the keys and her twin diesel engines rattle into life. When the diesels are warmed up, he will take _Alexandra_ to sea for her sea trials.

Diesel. Elizabeth and Barnabas have already bought replacements for all of the "rusty old boats" that made up the Collins fishing fleet 11 months ago. All of the "rusty old boats" were powered by gasoline. All of their replacements are powered by diesel, a much safer fuel. Never again will a Collins fishing boat be powered by gasoline.

Tomorrow, there will be another ceremony at the Collinsport Boatyard: the laying of the keel for the next new Collins fishing boat. Her name will be _Laura_.

**NOTES  
**A. Carolyn's grandmother and the boat are named "Alexandra" after Alexandra Moltke, who played the original Victoria Winters. In my stories "Elizabeth's Secret Chapter 2" and "Millicent's Lullaby Chapter 1," I named Carolyn's grandfather Daniel in honor of Dan Curtis. Willie refers to him as "Mr. Dan" in "Elizabeth's Secret Chapter 2."

B. Please see my story "Dr. Hoffman's 1st Trip to Collinwood" for the scene of Elizabeth telling Julia how David's mother died, the scene in which the name "Alexandra" is too painful for Elizabeth to speak.

C. I have no idea where I read "Get thee into thy element, and be thee about thy business." It is quite possible that I am mis-remembering it. I can not find it on the web.

"Of all liars, the smoothest and most convincing is memory." According to the web, it was Olin Miller who wrote that and Harlan Ellison quoted him in _Harlan Ellison's Watching_. Naturally, I can't find my copy of _Harlan Ellison's Watching_ to confirm it.

D. September 1973 was 3 years after the release of _House of Dark Shadows_ and 2 years after the release of _Night of Dark Shadows_.


End file.
